A Fox and a Half
by DTLe
Summary: A hanyou's life never seemed so great... in fact it always gets worse. See the hardships that a child must face in the harsh world of the Makai. YoukoxOC some OCxOC pairings ON HIATUS
1. A Time of Despair

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, credit goes to Togashi-sama. Any OCs are mine. Fic rated T (to be safe) for language, some violence, and other references. (OC's POV below)

My mother had passed away when I was born. The only thing I knew about her was she was human. Otherwise, everybody wouldn't taunt me and call me half-breed. The only comfort that I had was from my father, Hikaru. He never cared that I was a hanyou; all he cared about was that I was **his** child and nothing would change that. He would ignore everybody that talked about his "relationship" with a human and never give them a second glance. His sapphire eyes would watch on as I sat in the shade of a large tree watching the other children play while fussing with a red ribbon I kept in my hair. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't join them. They'd only hit me and talk about how I'm "half stupid" and laugh at me.

"You know Yuki, you should be ashamed. Humans are weak and small-minded. They have no right getting their blood mixed in with ours. Right guys?"

"Yeah!" Another boy pushed me onto the hard ground.

"She's probably going to tell her daddy on us 'cuz we made her cry, like a human would!" They walked away laughing and I would sit there and stare at the pendant my mother left me. The light-green jewel was centered in a black flame pattern which was only slightly larger than my fist. It made me wonder if there was any place in the Makai for a half-demon.

My father had told me stories of how they say that Lord Raizen had a child with a human but the child was banished away somewhere and never seen again. I always thought about how someone like Raizen could ever be known to be with a human. There were a lot of things I didn't understand. I didn't understand how important just staying alive was until that fateful day...

When father and a few others went out to hunt, I sat near a small pond staring down at my reflection in the water. I gazed at the sky blue eyes that stared back at me. Suddenly, there were ripples in the water while the ground was shaking furiously. There seemed to be sounds of giant footsteps coming towards here. I could hear my father's voice telling me to run. I ran out to see if I could find him. My first sight was a large purple bird-like demon. Its large black beak had rows of bloodstained teeth while its four red eyes seemed to search for another morsel. Its large wings blew powerful gusts that could easily topple large trees. I saw my father trying to fight it off but only leaving small scratches.

"Yuki! You have to get out of here now!" I stood there frozen in fear and restraint. "Daddy, I don't want to go without you!"

"Yuki, you have to! Hurry!" He was soon attacked by the large bird's talons. I had to turn away and run for I didn't want to see his life come to a violent end. I was almost on all fours, running for my life towards a thick forest. I sat down on a tree stump, exhausted. I turned to view the forest and suddenly realized I've never been here before. I couldn't tell where I was or how I got here. Just thinking about this and the fact that my dad's good as dead brought small tears to my eyes.

I would have continued to cry if I had not been interrupted by the same bird demon. Its large feet crushed every tree in its path. I ran as fast as I could, hoping the forest would slow it down. My fatigue slowed me down but as we exited what was left of the forest, I could see a flash of silver as the bird demon cam to a halt. The demon slowly swayed back and forth until it collapsed. What just happened?

"These stupid youkai always wreck everything in my territory..." The voice came from a fox demon standing to the right of the demon. His silver hair flowed in the wind as I barely get a glimpse of his amber eyes. My curiosity got the best of me.

"Um, who are you?" He turned to look at me.

"Hn, I am Youko Kurama. What is it to you, child?" Youko Kurama? Dad used to tell me about the legendary bandit. He didn't give any mercy. I was cautious not to anger him.

"Nothing sir..." He walked up to me; he seemed much taller than what I would imagine.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"That demon... it killed my family, and everybody else I knew." He seemed to understand, judging by his expression, although I wasn't quite sure.

"That stench... you smell of human."

"I'm a hanyou, my mother was human."

He was starting to scare me. I hadn't realized it then, but I had suddenly gone to human form. My hair turned black as my eyes turn a slightly light brown. Youko seemed to be deep in thought.

"I think I might find you useful. What is your name?" I made eye contact, wondering what he could possibly want with me.

"My name is Yuki, Yuki Kirona."

"Fine then, follow me." I did so, knowing this was probably my only chance of survival. I didn't know what would lie ahead, but for a half-demon, life is just waiting to do away with you...

Okay, first chapter's done! This was my first YYH fic, no flames.


	2. The Fox and the Cat

Disclaimer: See 1st Chapter.

I had managed to go back to demon form, and as we continued walking, we soon approached a large cave. By then, the full moon had risen in the sky, illuminating the ground below. I started to get drowsy as we arrived.

"You should get something to eat and go to sleep. Go forage for something, we're going somewhere tomorrow." He left, to somewhere outside my knowledge. I peeked out of the den, seeing as my previous encounter had shaken me up a bit. I noticed a fruit tree near by, and started to climb it. I picked a couple of fruit, and slid down, munching on one fruit on the way back. Where would he be taking me tomorrow? I wasn't quite sure. I already made my way back to the den, seeing an available bed. I barely finish my meal as I drifted off to sleep, using my own tail to keep me warm.

The sun had just rose as I was gently shook awake.

"Wake up, we're leaving." I could barely make out the voice as Youko's. I let out a soft yawn and got up. I was starting to wonder where he had been last night, but I was too afraid to ask. I had to quicken my pace to keep up with his long stride. We approached what looked like an old temple. The door slid open to reveal what appeared to be a cat demon. His golden ears matched his short hair and his tail, which was swaying from side to side.

"Kurama, you finally arrived."

"Yes, I had to make sure she could keep up." Was he calling me slow?!? My ears curled back in frustration. I couldn't help it if I couldn't run as fast as the other demons. What were we doing here anyway? I was going to ask when the cat demon said, "Yuki was it? Come here, I'll explain everything to you since **he** apparently hasn't." Youko mumbled under his breath, something resembling "stupid cat". I walked up to him. The shorter distance helped me notice an eye patch on his right eye. I walked inside the temple. The cat demon closed the door behind him, but not before I saw Youko leaving.

"My name's Katsuro. Did Kurama tell you anything about this?" I shook my head no.

"Katsuro-san, I'm confused. What am I doing here?"

"Well, it seems that Kurama needs some help with his stealing schemes ever since Kuronue died." The bat demon who was Kurama's friend... I thought I heard something about that.

"Looks like you're going to be, shall we say, his new partner in crime, with a little training of course." Me!?! I guess this is the only way I can live now.

"What did you say about training?"

"Kurama wanted me to keep you here to train you, and control your changing between your human and demon forms. I actually a half-demon too you know." He almost lost me by that last sentence.

"You're staying here for 28 days, but don't worry. I'm sure he's not going to abandon you or anything." The smile on his face was almost reassuring. I had a weird feeling about this.

"Your training doesn't start until next morning. How about I get us something to eat?" He seemed friendly enough. I followed him outside to a waterfall loudly pouring down into a river. I might as well get used to the scenery if I going to be staying here that long. We went fishing and we ate our share. The sun was starting to set again as we went back to the temple. I couldn't help but take quick glances at his eye patch. I controlled myself from staring to prevent being rude. He probably noticed as he said, "About my eye, I lost it in a fight with a bear youkai. I'm lucky this is all I lost." I shuddered at the thought. My eyes could barely stay open as he set up a room and bed for me.

"Kurama wanted to make sure I took good care of you. Otherwise he'd probably have my head for 'damaging' his key to sucess..." He chuckled and left, closing the door behind him. How would Kurama expect me to be any help in stealing? Sure the training would help but why me? Out of all the demons in the world he picked a half-demon like me. I didn't want to bother trying to understand what could be going on in his mind. I soon slept soundly, laying there until the next day dawned upon me.

2nd chapter… if you don't like just leave and pretend you were never here. Review please!


	3. One Last Moment

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

A few days had passed with Katsuro training me consistently. Strength, defense, speed, my senses... every part of my body seemed to need improvement. We had just finished training my body to control changing between demon and human. Most importantly of all, he said, I needed a weapon. Katsuro let me take a break to ponder while he set up for target practice. I sat there in the garden wondering about what my weapon would be. Normally I wouldn't think about even touching a blade... but now as I find a way to live in this land full of blood-thirsty demons who would love to have **me** in their gut, I have to find a way to defend myself. I fingered a white rose among the flowers, softly caressing every petal. I picked it and remembered a story my father told me about how he met mother...

He told me he would occasionally wander pass a village on his daily hunt. It was there he saw my mother, Natsumi. She always seemed to have a single white rose in her hair each day. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was as dark as the midnight sky and her eyes were a rich dark brown. He couldn't help but come watch her from the trees each day. He needed to stay out of sight as he did not want to frighten her. One fateful day, he followed her when she was on her way to gather some herbs. A snake demon leaped out of the nearby bush and attacked her. He reacted without even thinking. He had to protect her even if she would fear him; he just wanted her safe. The snake was eventually killed and as he turned around, Natsumi was still there. She seemed to be in awe and maybe even fond of him. A year later they had me, and my father said when I was born, I looked as beautiful as fresh winter snow... thus calling me Yuki.

_I wished my mother was still alive so I could know what she was like... I wished my father could tell me more... I wished that I could have been strong enough to do something about his death..._ As these thoughts raced through my mind, the white rose I held started to glow. Before I knew it, it had transformed into a sword. I almost stumbled with the weight but was soon able to keep it in my grasp. Katsuro saw this and said, "It looks like we have a little warrior don't we?" He smiled while stating that it was time for target practice. Later he had to train me to fight with a sword properly. It made me wonder what Kurama was doing right now...

(Kurama's POV)

I barely escaped after a successful robbery to collect payment for that greedy half-neko. He was lucky I left him with his life seeing as how Yuki would be a staple in my pursuit of the few artifacts locked away in human world. Being a child, it would increase her chances of success... if she didn't slip up. Katsuro is the only one suitable to train her, being the mangy half-breed he is. The things I do for wealth...

(Yuki's POV)

I was exhausted as the rose went back into normal form as I placed it in my hair. I checked my reflection in the river. The rose complemented my sky blue kimono. The sun set into the horizon of the fiery orange sky. There were so many days left to go and I considered that Katsuro seemed like a close friend rather than my mentor. Maybe it's because we're both half-demons, or maybe it's just a bond we share but every time I looked at him his grin seemed to have a calming effect on me. I was curious about the possibility of any survivors of that giant bird demon, or maybe they all perished as I made my way to safety. I made my way back to my room and lazily plopped myself onto a futon. In my unconscious state I dozed off...

I wandered in the darkness, hearing someone call my name. I tried to go towards the voice...

"Yuki... come Yuki..." I knew that voice, but was it who I thought it was? As I moved closer, a ray of light in the distance seemed to get brighter. I found myself in the arms of my father.

"Daddy?" He held me close and said, "Yuki, even though I can't be near you, my spirit is always watching. I'll still protect you no matter what because I love you, always remember that." I hugged him tight, never wanting to let go, to lose him again. He gave me one last kiss on my forehead as I lost my grip on him.

"Yuki, I have to go. Stay strong, I'll always be right by your side."

"Daddy, I don't want you to go yet!"

"Goodbye..." His image was slowly fading away as I tried to run towards him.

"Please... don't go!"

I awoke swiftly, seeing nothing but the stars in the window. It was only a dream, but I knew that perhaps right now, my father was watching over me. He was the only thing I had left in the world, the only person who cared. I laid my head down to rest, my pillow soaked in either tears or sweat. I remembered his words, trusting that he will protect me again, as I slept peacefully throughout the night.

Cliché? Maybe… but it's my fic so who cares. Review please!


	4. The World of the Bandits

Disclaimer: Same old thing. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Those days went by quicker than I thought, but I didn't really feel like leaving. I liked being with Katsuro, it's kinda like having an older brother or to take care of me. Katsuro says that if I could get permission I can always visit him sometime, but that's just not the same. It's not that I don't like Kurama, he did save me from possibly being killed, but I just don't like the idea of being a thief. Katsuro had one last talk with me before we went outside.

"Don't worry about anything. Just be sure you don't make him mad. Everything will be alright." He patted me on the head and waited with me outside. Katsuro simply laid back in the sunlight to relax, while I sat there watching the path of a flittering butterfly. I heard some footsteps in the distance. I squinted for a better view and could see it was Youko Kurama. He had a small sack attached to his belt. He finally reached the vicinity of the temple and spoke with Katsuro.

"Here, that would be the payment you asked for." Kurama removed the sack and handed it to Katsuro. He opened it and assorted gems were revealed. Katsuro smirked and replied, "This is good enough. Yuki-chan can go now." I stood up and went with Kurama while having one last look at the temple.

"Yuki, we're going to meet with the rest of the group. You'll have to hurry or you'll be late." He already had a running start and I went after him. Judging by his expression, he could see I have improved. I was almost a few meters behind him as he bounded from tree to tree. We eventually came to a stop at some kind of hideout. There were other demons in white clothes similar to Kurama's. I could barely hear some conversation going on.

"He's back already..."

"With two partners dead, he probably just grabbed any demon he could find..."

"I heard he recruited a half-breed, he must be getting desperate." I started to get nervous, reluctant to meet them, but I followed Kurama towards the others. I received a few glares and there were a few whispers of "Is that a kid?" and "Youko must've gone insane..." I felt compelled to run, but remained at Kurama's side for now. Another demon approached us, judging by his scent I could see he was a wolf demon. He had black hair and icy blue eyes that felt like they were going to turn me to stone. I knew he didn't like me, but then again who would like a half-demon? He simply glared at me before turning towards Kurama.

"Is this her?"

"Yes, remember what I told you." He growled in response, although it was barely noticeable. Kurama was about to leave, but not before he told me: "This is Haruo. He'll tell you what you need to know." He left leaving me and Haruo alone... I would of ran and hid if I wasn't frozen in place by fear. He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me to his eye level.

"I'll tell you a few simple things, half-breed: from now on you will only be allowed to refer to him as _Youko-sama_, you are not to do anything without permission, and one last thing: when Youko's not around, I'm the boss. Got it?" I nodded, his words were like venom slowly creeping into my system. He dropped me on the ground and walked away. I just sat there, nobody seemed to notice me as they went on with their lives. His tone, it seemed that Haruo couldn't stand being in even miles of my existence. Even back in my village where the kids would tease me, they had never had hate this strong for me. I suddenly heard a voice behind me: "Don't mind Haruo, he's always been like that."

I turned and saw a lady with dark blue hair and green eyes. She came towards me and helped me up. She had a kind tone in her voice and was very pretty.

"My name is Michiko, you're Yuki right?" I nodded and responded with "Yes ma'am." She kneeled down to make eye contact with me and smiled.

"Haruo must've scared you to death didn't he? Stupid jerk doesn't ever know when to back off." I wasn't sure whether she was just being nice to me or if she wanted to help.

"Don't worry Yuki, I'll make sure he doesn't bother you too much, although I've never seen him act **this** harsh before."

(Haruo's POV)

Damn half-breed trash, what pitiful demon would even think about doing such a thing with a human? I thought even my own mother would be sane enough to not let herself become some kind of slut...

(Flashback in Normal POV)

A few years ago, in a mountainous region of demon world, a pack of wolf demons had a meeting involving the mate of their leader. She had just bore a half-demon child originally thought to be Lord Katashi's. Everyone was in an outrage, with some exceptions, such as a young Haruo, who didn't quite understand what was going on. He was the prince of the wolf tribe, Katashi's son, and was wondering what has made everyone so angry. He had heard his parents in an argument went the child was born. He could remember the incident very clearly:

"I can't believe you've soiled our bloodline, especially with a human!"

"I don't care Katashi, at least he treated me better than you ever did!"

"Shut up woman! How I treat you shouldn't matter, you belong in this pack and you **will** follow my rules."

"No, I am not giving up this child, he is my son and I should deserve to keep him."

"We do not need to keep this worthless runt with us."

"I'm not going to let you kill him!"

There were plans to kill the half-demon child and be rid of it, while going on as if it never happened. Haruo was told by his father not to acknowledge his mother; she didn't mean anything to the tribe anymore. He nodded in agreement, but left to see the half-demon that was his younger half-brother. The boy looked like any other wolf-demon child, with pointed ears, short black hair, and green eyes like his mother, but he had a human's scent all over him. The baby looked up at his older half-brother innocently, not knowing of his forbidden heritage. Haruo glared at him, it was this child's fault that his mother would plan to leave the pack, that his father was turning cold and hateful, that the pack was falling apart, and that the other wolf demon children started to mock him for his mother's deed, calling her a "human lover". Haruo growled at the child stating: "I wish you've never been born. Everything is going wrong because of you, and you can just lie there and not have a care in the world. You make me sick; you should go to hell like the humans."

He walked away, while later that night, his mother would take the child and never be seen again. Haruo decided to leave what was left of the pack. The other demons abandoned the pack, for they felt that there was nothing to be gained by being in a pack that could allow themselves produce half-breeds. Haruo didn't know where he would go, but he didn't feel as he should stay here with his father, who was now always angry and bitter. Haruo ran off into the forest, forever abandoning the pack where he was once a prince.

(End Flashback, Haruo's POV)

Half-breeds are nothing but trouble, what could Kurama be think of bringing that scum here? I'm not sure whether I'll be able to trust his judgment anymore. First Yomi, then Kuronue… we had lost some of our best thieves. It's probably better if we risk something we wouldn't be too attached to I guess. The half-fox just better stay out of my way.

(Yuki's POV)

Michiko offered to let me stay with her. She didn't seem to judge me like everyone else had, though I'm not sure what her reason was. She told me that Kurama was planning on sending me out to steal something tomorrow. I started to get nervous, if I didn't do a good job, would he kick me out? What would I do if he did? What if I ended up as food for some hideous beast all alone with no one to help? Having Michiko was comforting in a way, it was almost nightfall and she made a bed for me to sleep in. This was better than being eaten by a demon I guess. Starting today, I am a bandit.

Yes, lots of OCs are abound… just wait 'til future chapters.


	5. Ningenkai Awaits!

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Togashi-sama... but this disclaimer is mine! mwahahahaha!

How did I get myself into this mess? Earlier this morning, Kurama had pointed out a gate between the Makai and Ningenkai and ordered me to find a jewel called the "Ryuu Chishio Ruby". Sure it _sounded_ easy, but I knew these things always had a catch, such as the place being swarmed with guards. I was in my human form and hiding behind a shrub. These guys looked serious, I had to be careful. Unfortunately, my first attempt only managed to get me chased into the forest by two of the guards. I wasn't that discouraged; Kurama gave me a week to come back with the gem. Although at the rate things were going, it was gonna be a long week...

This time I threw a stone into a bush and they went out to investigate the noise. It's amazing how many people seemed to fall for that. I crept in the entrance, and the ruby was displayed on a pedestal, glimmering in the sunlight. But I didn't have time to admire it; I snatched it and placed it in a satchel tied to my waist. I bounded out a nearby exit and into the forest. I could hear yelling in the distance, most likely from the guards.

"It's gone! I told you it was just a mouse!"

"It's not my fault! What if it was a bandit?"

"Well a bandit just **stole** the ruby you idiot!"

"They couldn't have gone far, go search for them!"

I would've laughed if I wasn't so concerned about staying hidden. I was wondering what to do next... Kurama probably wouldn't be expecting me back for a few days. I could take some time to explore Ningenkai, it sure looked brighter and more cheerful than the Makai. I wouldn't draw any attention if I just stayed in my human form. All of a sudden, I felt the wind blowing with great force. I could see a small tornado headed toward the village I was at. Everybody panicked while I was running for cover. I ducked into a small cave as the vortex traveled along, wreaking havoc along its path. The tornado started to die down as it approached the forest, and I saw something fall out of the sky as the wind diminished into a light breeze. I ran over to see what it was and found a fox-demon girl barely as old as me. I gently shook her to see if she was alright.

"Hey, are you okay? Say something..." I moved on to poking her when she stirred for her resting place. She had silver hair and dull, silver eyes.

"Ugh, I'm dizzy..." She took one glance at me and went into hysterics.

"Oh no! Please don't be mad, I didn't mean to do that! It was an accident!" I didn't quite get what she was talking about.

"Calm down, I won't do anything to you." She seemed to relax and took a better look at me.

"That's good. I'm Kaze, and before you ask, I'm only half-demon." I was taken by surprise, maybe there were more hanyous in the world than I realized.

"My name's Yuki. You're not saying you made that tornado are you?"

"I am, but it's just 'cause I can't control my powers! Everybody in my village gets mad at me when stuff like that happens."

"You live around here? With humans?"

"Yep! But my mama got really sick and she passed away a few months ago. Plus, my dad's gone, so now I'm just exploring and having fun." Wow, she just went from depressed to cheery in 5 seconds. Kaze seemed really carefree despite her situation.

"So, do you live in that village?" This wasn't good, Kurama strictly told me not to say who I'm working for. I tried to come up with a believable explanation.

"I'm an orphan, I don't live around here." That was practically as close to the truth as you can get, so I wasn't lying, which made me feel better.

"That's too bad, say, you wanna play with me?" I wasn't sure what I should do next, Kurama would probably want me to get back right away, but it's not like he's watching my every move right? A little fun wouldn't hurt. I told her I would and we went down an old dirt path.

We walked until we came along a large green field of grass. Kaze sat down to rest while I laid back to look at the clouds. The bright, blue sky and fluffy white clouds were practically the opposite of the Makai's shades of violet and black. I admired the scenery some more until I felt a faint rumble in the ground.

"Yuki, look!" I turned to where Kaze pointed and there was a giant dog youkai on the horizon. It had glaring red eyes, and from what I could tell, a purple crescent moon on its forehead. I didn't bother to note any other features as we ran before it could possibly crush us with one of its paws. The dog seemed to continue heading in our direction. We had to find a way to move faster and avoid it. In quick desperation, I went into demon form. I froze the ground with the limited ice powers I got from father and slid on the path. Kaze followed my lead and we gained speed immediately. Unfortunately there was a huge tree in the way and I couldn't slow down. We tripped over a tree root and fell into a hollow space under the tree. The giant dog stomped by us, but we didn't exit until we were sure it was safe.

"If I had known Lord Sesshomaru was around I wouldn't have come here", Kaze groaned. Lord Sesshomaru, son of Inu-Taisho? That would explain the crescent moon on his forehead. I wouldn't want to get in the way of someone like him. I sighed in relief as Kaze stared at me, or rather, my ears.

"I thought I smelled some demon on you. So you're half-demon too?" I nodded and she grinned at me.

"Wow, I can't believe I found someone like me to play with! That's great!" She hugged me out of the blue and I was being crushed.

"Kaze... c-can't breathe..." Kaze released me and held a hand behind her head in embarrassment.

"Heheh... oops, sorry about that. It's just that I've haven't met a half-demon like me before." I didn't blame her; we're practically our own species. The only other hanyous I knew was the son of Lord Raizen from father's story and Katsuro-san back in the Makai. I wonder how many more hanyous could be out there, if any.

"Yuki-chan, let's go out now and play some more!" I can't believe she still has energy to play after this whole incident. I was exhausted, plus I was staring to get hungry.

"Hey Kaze, how about we get something to eat first? I really don't have the strength to play right now."

"Okay, I know where we can find some really sweet berries to eat! C'mon!" Kaze dashed out while I followed. I had to admit, she was _really_ hyper.

We bounded from tree to tree until we came upon some bushes with ripe, red berries. Kaze went to pick some and gave me a handful. I popped one into my mouth. Kaze was right, these berries were really sweet, and I felt refreshed instantly. The sky turned gray as the sound of thunder traveled to my ears.

"Aww, it's going to rain", Kaze pouted as her fox ears drooped down in sadness.

"Kaze, it's getting late anyway. We should find shelter." We strolled back to our original hiding place, which had just enough room for both of us to lie down. I got really drowsy and let out a yawn.

"Hey Yuki -chan?" I turned my head in her direction.

"What is it Kaze?"

"Does this mean we get to be best friends now?" I pondered for a moment before answering.

"Yeah, we're friends."

"Thanks Yuki-chan. Good night." She turned to the side and curled her tail around her.

"G'night Kaze-chan." It felt good to have a new friend here in Ningenkai, especially one who's a hanyou like me. Forgetting what I'm really here for, I drifted off into slumber as the rain drizzled outside.

Well that's another reason they call her "Yuki" ne? How long will she stay in Ningenkai? How long will Kurama let her? Find out next time on Yu Yu-- err, I mean "A Fox and a Half"!


	6. What Now?

Disclaimer: All hail Togashi-sensei who created Yu Yu Hakusho and has legal rights to it, and is not me. XD

* * *

Sunlight was shining in my eyes as I wearily awoke from my slumber. Kaze was lightly snoring next to me. I peered out from under the tree to observe the surroundings. There was nothing but the bright green grass and the forest surrounding us. I suddenly remembered the gem I had in my pouch, I should be returning to Kurama sooner or later. But how will I explain that to Kaze? Nobody would want to be friends with a thief would they? I sat back down to think, meanwhile Kaze had risen, yawning as she rubbed her eyes. 

"Ohayou (good morning) Yuki-chan, you're up already?"

"Yeah..."

"Is something wrong?" Knowing my return to the Makai was unavoidable, there was still a chance that Kurama would continue to send me back here once in a while. I had to tell her something.

"Well, I was going to see someone, and they're probably still waiting for me. I should be going."

"Aww, but you just got here." Her fox ears drooped while she pouted with her lower lip sticking out like she was about to cry.

"I'll come visit you when I can okay? I'm not going to be gone forever." That seemed to cheer her up, as she immediately had a smile on her face once again.

"Okay, you promise?"

"I promise." She gave me another rib-crushing hug farewell as I left to locate the gate between Ningenkai and the Makai. Its location was always changing to avoid detection from anyone who might want to prevent the youkai from entering Ningenkai. Unfortunetely, it also meant I wasn't sure where to go from here. I had to sense the youki emenating from it, and from what I could tell it was positioned in the west... quite far away from where I was standing. I sighed and went on my way. My journey took me along a old dirt path in the dense green forest. Hours later I had arrived at what seemed to be another village, but it was completely empty. Where was everybody? It was then I heard very faint whispering, I could barely make it out.

"Who will save us from that monster?"

"It's hopeless, we're trapped here forever."

"We have to find a way to send for help!"

"Who could help us?! He's too powerful for humans to face." Who could they be talking about? Who were they hiding from? I started to feel anxious and quickened my pace. I didn't want to hang around when whoever it is comes by. I had almost made it out of the village when I was startled by a black blur rushing past me. I tripped and dropped the ruby, apparentely my pouch hadn't been secured properly. Before I could reach for it, the blur came back in a rush of wind. It had left me dizzy and disoriented, and when I regained my senses, the ruby was gone! I started to panic, wondering what could've happened. It must've been stolen by whoever passed me just now, but where did they go? I frantically searched in every direction. There was a scent along the trail which had to be them. The path had led to a deserted beach, surrounded by a few rock formations. There was a cavern where the entrance was hidden behind a sand dune. The scent was strong here; I slid down the sand and found a small network of tunnels before me. I had the feeling I'll end up getting lost, but I needed the ruby or else... well I wasn't sure what "or else" was yet, but I didn't want to find out. My quick thinking gave me an idea, I would grab as much sand as I could in my pouch and use it to mark where I've been. I wasn't sure what I would do if I ran out, but I'd figure out something. I entered with caution, starting with the tunnel on the left.

I wasn't sure how long I was in there, but I had only managed to find dead ends so far. I barely had any sand left so I ended up using pebbles I had found. I sat down to rest against a rock wall. The scent was everywhere, but still no sign of anyone. Suddenly, I felt the wall shift behind me. I stood up and tried to push it, and found that the "wall" was actually a slab of rock blocking another tunnel. I pushed harder until the slab came crashing down with a thundering "thud".

"So you managed to find me brat?"

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Dun dun dun... evil theme music If the chapter seems rushed that's my fault, though for some reason I can't write long chapters. Who is the mystery voice? I'd tell you but that'll spoil the next chapter huh? Hopefully I'll update faster... but I'm lazy. Yes, I admit it. Okay I'll shut up now. R&R onegai (please). 


	7. Confrontation

Disclaimer: I have no rights to the Yu Yu Hakusho series, except to watch and enjoy it. A/N: I know I haven't updated in a long time, I apologize. I'm not really sure this fic will ever be finished. We'll hope for the best.

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I came face to face with a boy who appeared to be in his late teens. He had short, spiked black hair that had a sky-blue streak running down the middle. His crimson eyes gazed at me with what seemed to be amusement. He wore what appeared to be a black, sleeveless gi (like a martial arts uniform) secured with a red sash around his waist. There was no doubt, the scent came from him. He looked human, but even without the scent I knew he wasn't. As he sat there he smirked at me and pulled out the ruby.

"You came for this didn't you?" He began taunting me with the ruby, raising it over my head when I tried to grab it.  
"Give it to me now!" I shouted, trying to sound threatening. It probably didn't work seeing as I sounded like a spoiled child demanding a new toy. He simply chuckled at my efforts.  
"And why should I? It seems suspicious that a kid like you is carrying something like this around." He was really starting to get on my nerves.  
"That's none of your business." I continued to grab the ruby from his hand, but to no avail. This guy was really being cruel, picking on children like this. He suddenly stood up; he towered over me as he was about twice my size. (That's not really saying much, I wasn't even eleven years old yet.)

"If you really want this so badly, go get it." He threw the ruby and I turned around to go after it. It was then I realized something was off. I didn't hear the "thump" of something hitting the ground, nor did I see the ruby. The sound of him laughing behind me revealed that I had been tricked. Needless to say, it was embarrassing to be duped so easily.  
"Kid, you may be a kitsune, but you"re as dumb as a mutt." I was getting impatient with his constant mocking. I had somewhere to be and he was wasting my time. I'm taking the ruby if it's the last thing I do.

I charged toward him and leapt toward his fist. I managed to grab his arm and started using my ice powers to freeze it. He jerked his arm away and dropped the ruby in the process. I immediately ran for the ruby, grabbed it, and ran for the exit. He had shattered the ice on his arm against a cave wall and came after me.

"So it's a fight you want? I'll show you, you stupid brat!" Before I knew it, he had sprouted black dragon wings and a whip-like tail. His nails had grown into claws and his fangs grew in. His youki (demon energy) was charging in the palms of his hands, and he continuously fired the beams at me. I dodged while trying to keep track of the piles of sand I used to mark the way. I could see daylight streaming in from the entrance. I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I finally made it outside, I then headed towards the portal, which was starting to close. Frantically, I made one final leap through the portal, which soon closed behind me. I sighed with relief, I was safe for now. I went back to the hide-out, silently wishing I wouldn't have to go back too soon.

(??'s POV)

She escaped from me through a portal to the Makai. It didn't matter really; I wasn't really interested in the gem anyways. But if she shows her face around here again, she'll get what's coming to her. I am not someone you should mess with. I'll show her just like I showed those damn humans. I withdrew to the cavern to rest. My wings and tail receded into my body while my claws and fangs went back to a normal length. I cursed to myself. My real mission is to find all the shards of the shikon jewel to become a full demon, not trouble myself with a weak half-fox. I will make every demon and human bow before me.

(Yuki's POV)

I arrived at the base where Kurama was waiting for me; I presented the ruby to him. He took it from my hand and examined it. He seemed to be satisfied. He turned to speak to me.

"Was there anything that delayed your return?" Did he expect me back earlier? I didn't know what to tell him. It was almost three days since I left. Should I mention the incident with the demon boy? I did bring the ruby to him after all that. I wouldn't be punished for being tardy or anything right?  
"There was one thing... someone stole the ruby from me, but I got it back." Kurama nodded in acknowledgement.  
"Was it a human?"

"No, it was a demon, a dragon demon." He showed some interest in my statement.  
"Was it a boy, dressed in black with dark hair and red eyes?" Did Kurama know who he was?  
"Yes Youko-sama that was him." He sighed quietly, his expression that of being deep in thought.  
"I see. That boy is known as Ryuuma. Don't concern yourself with him, he's only a nuisance. He's a half-dragon who causes trouble for his own amusement." I didn't need him to tell me that, experience is an excellent teacher. Though, Ryuuma didn't seem like someone who does things for "amusement". He almost killed me! Kurama dismissed me so I left. It was almost nightfall, so I decided to get some rest. I hope my next mission isn't so hectic.

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A/N: I used "ryuu" from the Japanese word from dragon and "ma" from "akuma" meaning demon. It's not necessarily creative but he gave the name to himself. More on his past shall be revealed later. As for now, R&R!


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